Finishing things

In my goal of trying to finish things that are already in progress, this week I completed two projects and moved one down the road towards completion.

I finished hand-quilting (big stitch, perle cotton) the applique project I started in a class with Sarah Fielke in May.  Got the binding on it, and voila!  This is about 20 or 21" square.  Love how those shot cottons look with quilting, either hand or machine.  They are so beautiful!  This one is a 'Peppered Cotton' by Pepper Cory. I would love to have full bolts of all of them!

So much did I enjoy the big-stitch hand quilting, that I pulled out this project I started FIVE years ago, when laid up with a broken leg.  I originally intended to make it larger, but a friend said awhile back 'don't you just get tempted to make two more and call it done?'.  I decided she had a point!  Made two more (the applique pieces were all cut out, in a box), put it together, added borders and the circles used in the pattern and had a top ready for basting.  Pattern is "Rice Bowls" from Kaffe Fasset's book  Passionate Patchwork.  12 is a great number for a wall-hanging, didn't need to be any bigger!

I basted on the floor, (ugh---haven't done that in awhile---I've been spray basting for awhile now) using pins, but just to hold it.  Then I hand basted with big stitches.  All ready for handquilting!  Using Aurafil's 12 weight Mako thread in a beautiful turquoise.  The quilting will be nothing fancy.  I'm following the books recommendations of simple outlining.  Great to have handwork when watching tv in the evening with my DH.  Close up below of quilting-in-progress is a little wrinkly, putting it in and out of the frame causes that, but you get the idea!

Also quilted and put the binding on a cute little baby quilt I made for my good friend's brand new grand baby, a beautiful little girl named Lilly, who arrived July 1st.

I loved the pattern, called "Birthday Bunting", appropriately enough.   Thought she needed a simple modern quilt.  Love that background fabric; it's a Tula Pink, and this one is a light grey (also comes in beige).  The pink pennants are a number of different pinks and were paper-pieced.  The pennants have simple line quilting and to soften that, the background has swirls.  the binding is a soft grey but mixed in are several pink sections, which was fun. Just needs a label, and a little 'big brother' gift to accompany it and it will go off to the new parents!

Meanwhile, the flowers are blooming and looking lovely out near my pergola, so I thought I'd share some of summer's beauty with you!  Enjoy!!  (and yes, looking now, I see two LARGE weeds in my beautiful picture that need to be pulled, but hey.....I'm busy quilting!!!)